A Hidden Hand

Imam Hussein bin Ali (a)

Check out this book translated by Shaykh Hamid Waqar. It is about how Blood Matam started and the verdicts of major scholars in regards to it. It is a short book and has all of the information from the highest scholars of Shia Islam. It is A look into the historical, jurisprudential, and reactional aspects of blood matam in the general public and international media.

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The Sermon of al-Imām ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (ﻉ) in Shām

“Praise be to Allāh, Who Has no beginning, the Everlasting, Who Has no end! The Foremost, Whose Beginning has no beginning, and the Last, Whose End has no end. All will perish, except His Ownself. He measures the days and nights and prepares the destinies, and blessed is Allāh, the King, and the All-Knowing!

Oh people! Allāh has bestowed us with six qualities and seven merits: Knowledge, forbearance, munificence, eloquence, valour, and the friendship in the hearts of the believers are present in us. While our merits are: the Prophet in Authority is from amongst us, his Vicegerent (al-Imām ʿAlī) is from amongst us, the “Flyer” (Jaʿfar aṭ-Ṭayyār) is from amongst us, the Sibtayn (al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn) of this nation are from amongst us, and also the Mahdī—may Allāh hasten his reappearance!—who will kill the Dajjāl (the “Imposter”; the Anti-Christ), is from amongst us. Those who know me, know me, while those who do not know me, I shall reveal my lineage and ancestry for them until they recognise me.

Oh people! I am the son of Makkah and of Mina! I am the son of Zamzam and Safā! I am the son of the one who lifted the Black Stone by the side of his quilt. I am the son of the best one, who adorned the cloak. I am the son of the best ones who circumambulated (the Ka‘bah) and performed the Sāʿī. I am the son of the best ones who performed the Ḥajj and pronounced the Talbīyyah. I am the son of the one who was taken to the Masjid al-Aqsā at night (the ʿIsrā). I am the son of the one who was taken up to the Sidrat al-Muntahā (the “Lote Tree of the uttermost boundary”; cf. liii, 14). I am the son of the one who drew near and became pending in between the creation and the Creator (the ʿIsrā when the Prophet drew near to Allāh). I am the son of the one who was (near) the measure between the two bows facing each other or higher still (the ʿIsrā). I am the son of the one who was bestowed revelation by the Almighty, what He did Reveal. I am the son of al-Ḥusayn, the one killed at Karbalā! I am the son of ʿAlī, the Approved One! I am the son of Muḥammad, the Chosen One! I am the son of Fāṭimah az-Zahrā! I am the son of Sidrat al-Muntahā! I am the son of the Blessed Tree! (xiv, 24) I am the son of the one who was smeared in blood and sand. I am the son of the one who was lamented upon by the Jinn in the darkness of the night. I am the son of the one who was mourned upon by the birds…”

When his sermon reached at this stage, the people present started weeping and lamenting, and Yazīd ibn Muʿāwīyah ibn Abī Sufyān ^(ﻝ), the cursed, feared it might result in a revolt. So, he called out for the caller to prayer (Mu‘adhdhin) commanding him, “Give the call for the Prayers!” (When it was not even the time for prayers)

The mu‘adhdhin rose and commenced the call, “Allāh is Great! Allāh is Great!” al-Imām ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ^(ﻉ) followed, “Verily, Allāh is Great, and the Most High, and the Most Honourable, and the Most Kind than what I fear and of what I avoid!”

The mu‘adhdhin continued, “I bear witness that there is no (other) god except Allāh!” al-Imām ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ^(ﻉ) said, “Verily, I, too, bear witness with others that there is no (other) god except Allāh, and no other Lord except Him, while I reject every denier!”

When the mu‘adhdhin said, “I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh!” al-Imām ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ^(ﻉ) removed his turban (amāmah) from his head and turned towards the Mu‘adhdhin saying, “I request you in the name of this very Muḥammad, remain silent for a moment.”

The Imām ^(ﻉ) then turned towards Yazīd ^(ﻝ), and said, “Oh Yazīd! This Honourable and Noble Messenger, is my grandfather or yours? If you say that he is your grandfather, then the entire world knows that you speak a lie! And if you say that he is my grandfather, then why did you kill my father with tyranny, and plunder his belongings, and captivate his womenfolk?”

Saying this, al-Imām ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ^(ﻉ) tore his collar and wept, saying, “By Allāh! There is none except myself upon this earth whose grandfather is the Prophet of Allāh! Why did these men kill my father with tyranny and arrest us similar to the Romans? Oh Yazīd! You do this and then say that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh and turn your face towards the Qiblah in prayers? Woe be to you on the day when my grandfather and father will be enraged with you (on the Day of Justice)!”